Secondary students' assignment evaluation process begins 

The education ministry has launched the process of assignment evaluation by educational institutions to identify learning gaps of secondary and madrasa students caused by the pandemic-induced disruptions.

It will incorporate the findings into the next year's syllabus, allowing students to mitigate their gaps.

As part of this, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) uploaded the final evaluation schedule on its website on Saturday.

Many headteachers and superintendents of secondary level institutions have already downloaded the instructions, but most institutions have yet to start the process.

According to the ministry's directive, a student must prepare three assignments a week. Students' guardians will collect assignment sheets and submit them to the institutions. Submissions can also be done online.

Students must do the assignments on white sheets of papers, without any assistance from anybody. However, help from textbooks is allowed.

Teachers are authorised to cancel an assignment and ask students to resubmit if they suspect rules are being violated. Students will be given 16 assignments in a 45-day period. Other than these assignments, no other homework can be given till December 31.

DSHE Director General, Professor Syed Md Golam Faruk told The Business Standard that this is the best way to gauge students' learning capacity. "We will develop the syllabus for next year syllabus based on our evaluation." 

"We have asked teachers to strictly supervise and monitor the assignment process. I hope the results will be good," he added. 

According to the directives, teachers will rank students' assignments in four categories – superb, very good, good, and progress needed. School authorities are obligated to archive the assignments.

"Students will have to answer descriptive, creative, short and broad questions for the assignments," Faruk said.  

Md Sohel, head teacher of Ganda Girls High School in Bhola, told The Business Standard they would start the evaluation process from Tuesday.

"It is a good initiative by the government and is the best way to evaluate students," he said.

Md Anwar Hossain, headteacher of Jalsha High school in Dhaka, said a meeting would be held on November 3 to decide how to distribute and receive assignments maintaining health protocols.

On October 21, Education Minister, Dr Dipu Moni, said secondary level students would be promoted to the next grade without any annual examinations, but the Ministry would evaluate them through assignments.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), there are about one crore students studying in grades VI to IX across the country. 

On March 16, the Education Ministry issued a statement, announcing the government's decision to keep all educational institutions and coaching centres shut from 18 March to 31 March, taking into consideration students' safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the circumstances, this year's Primary Education Completion (PEC), Ebtedayee tests, Junior School Certificate (JSC), Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC), and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations were cancelled.

The government has already announced its decision to promote PEC and JSC students to the next grade without examinations. The results of HSC examinees will be based on their JSC and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) scores.

Classes have remained suspended since March 18, although the administrative activities of educational institutions have gradually resumed. The government recently extended the closure of all educational institutions till November 14.